THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST

CHRIST AS A COMPASSIONATE HIGH PRIEST

Christ was a compassionate high priest, who showed a deep concern for the people without leaders (Matt.9:36) “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” See also (Mark 6:33-34) “But the multitude saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus when he came out saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.” The disciples of Jesus had just come from a mission each one of them, and needed to eat and have rest; and they thought to have gone to a deserted place where the multitude knew not. But to their surprise, the multitude even arrived before them. (6:1-3) “Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourself to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.”  Jesus had compassion upon the multitude but His disciples were heartless as usual (V.35-36) “When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” This were Jesus disciples that were indeed from a mission but they seemed to be in the natural that they could not understand the supernatural multiplication out of the five loaves of bread and the two fishes (V. 37) But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”  They were too arrogant and skeptical just like Jonah the son of Amittai. (V. 38) But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five and two fish.” Jesus was not only compassionate but a solution solver too (V.39-44) “Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them;  and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments and off the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.” What a God of multiplication we serve!”

THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST TO THE SICK PEOPLE

Jesus was moved with compassion for the sick people (Matt. 14:14) “And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick.” The story of the two blind men (Matt. 20:29-34) “Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” Then the multitude warns them that they should be quite; but they cried out the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord Son of David!” So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”  They said to Him, “Lord that our eyes may be opened.” So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.” Jesus healing to the leper (Mark 1:40-42) “Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “if you are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched Him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.”

COMPASSION OF CHRIST TO THE HUNGRY PEOPLE

He was as well moved with compassion to the hungry who stayed with Him for three days (Matt. 15:32) “Now Jesus called His disciples  to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”  See the Gospel according to (Mark 8:1-2) “In those days the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.” Christ was indeed compassionate and had humor, unlike His disciples who did not seem to care but asked (V. 4) “Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

COMPASSION OF CHRIST TO A GRIEVING WIDOW

Christ’s compassion had neither limitation nor boundary (Luke 7:11-15) “Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold a dead man was being carried out, the only son of His mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.” This was how much Christ’s compassion could go! In the human form yet with divine Godly heart.

COMPASSION OF CHRIST TO ALL OF US

To all of us even in our weakness beloved brethren, Christ has compassion (Heb. 4:15-16) “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted s we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  It is advisable or a good thing to come boldly to the throne of God’s grace in order to obtain mercy and again to find grace to help us in the time when we are in need.

THE CHRIST SOCIAL CONCERN

Christ’s social concern was perplexed even to His cousin John the Baptist who sent to Him men to inquire from Him if He was the real Christ; As Christ’s concern was divinely (Luke 7:21-22) “When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, do we look for another?’” And that very hour He cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended by Me.” Of all the incidents in the life of Jesus that Luke researched, he picked out particularly the ones that showed the social concern for Jesus for those rejected and considered unimportant by his society. For example, Luke introduced thirteen women not mentioned in the other Gospels (1:23-25) “Elizabeth”; (2:36-38) “Anna” (7:11-15, 36-50) “The widow who had lost her only son, the sinner woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and, wiped with her hair” (8:1-3) “certain women healed from evil spirits-Mary Magdalene, Joanna wife of Chuza and Susanna , and many other who provided for Him from their substance” (13:10-16) “the woman with infirmity for eighteen years” (23:27-31) Daughters of Jerusalem who mourned and lamented at His crucifixion” (24:10)  Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles” and told two parables about women (15:8-10) “The woman with ten silver who happen to lose one; (18:1-8) “The widow woman who sought justice from her judge.”  Jesus received His support from a number of women (8:1-3). In Luke’s Gospel we also see Jesus’ special heart for the poor and oppressed, and His words of judgment on the rich. Jesus proved that He was the Messiah prophesied by Isaiah (Isa. 61:1) by His ministry to the downtrodden. His love and compassion extended to despised people such as task collectors and Samaritans. This concern for the outcasts of society and for the poor and the “unlovely” people of today ought to characterize our lives as well.

APOSTLE PAUL’S CONCERN TO HIS FOLLOWERS

Paul the Apostle too just like Christ had concern to his followers in this manner (2 Cor. 2:17,19-20) “But we brethren having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.” Apostle Paul wrote this letter to express his concern for the Thessalonian Christians he had been forced to leave so quickly. Knowing the persecution they were facing, he assured them of his fatherly love and of his desire to return. He expressed delight over the good reports he was hearing about their commitments to Christ. Ministers of the Gospel today can use this same epistle as a model for the relationship of love that should develop between them and the church.

Abba Father, I give You all the worship, honor and Adoration.

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”